1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical microscope. More particularly, the present invention relates to the illuminator and magnifying unit of an optical microscope which illuminate the object being viewed under the microscope, and enlarge an image of the object, respectively.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical microscope is used in general to enlarge the image of a specific portion of an object, which portion can not be seen with the naked eye.
First, the object is placed under an objective lens. Then a specific portion of the object is irradiated with light from an illuminator of the optical microscope. The light reflects from the object to an ocular lens through the objective lens and an auxiliary magnifying unit. Accordingly, an enlarged image of the specific portion of the object is produced. This enlarged image, of course, allows the user to make out the details of the specific portion of the object.
The conventional optical microscope will be described in more detail referring to FIGS. 1 to 5.
First, as shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the conventional optical microscope 10 includes an ocular unit 12, an illuminator 22, an auxiliary magnifying unit 16 comprising a casing and an auxiliary magnifying lens 14, an adapter 18, and a reflective cover 20.
The auxiliary magnifying unit 16 is mounted to the bottom of the ocular unit 12 by the reflective cover 20 via the adaptor 18. In addition, the illuminator 22 is fixed beneath the auxiliary magnifying unit 16 within the reflective cover 20. A case (not shown for simplicity) is provided beneath the illuminator 22, in order to provide a path for light induced through the objective lens.
Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the illuminator 22 is tubular, and has two connected semi-annular portions disposed coaxially one above the other. The upper semi-annular portion has first ends connected to the lower semi-annular portion, and second ends comprising contacts 26, respectively, connected to a power line 24.
The contacts 26 are each arcuate and do not touch each other. The power line 24 is led away from the contacts 26 in such a direction that it will not interfere with the light led through the objective lens unit and into the auxiliary magnifying lens 14. The reflective cover 20 is sized to both accommodate the illuminator 22 and the power line 24 extending from the top of the illuminator 22 through the bottom of the cover 20.
Because the illuminator 22 is disposed below the auxiliary magnifying unit 16 within the reflective cover 20, the auxiliary magnifying lens 14 of the auxiliary magnifying unit 16 is directly exposed to the light emanating from the illuminator 22. Such light is led directly to the ocular lens unit 12 through the auxiliary magnifying lens 14.
Therefore, both the light reflected from the object and the light from the portion of the illuminator 22 to which the auxiliary magnifying lens 14 is exposed are mixed. This results in an unclear image of the object.
In addition, the optical path between the ocular lens unit 12 and the objective lens is rather long due to the structure of the illuminator 22, and the serial disposition of the illuminator 22 and the auxiliary magnifying unit 16. This limits the working space available to the user.
Finally, assembling or disassembling the components of the microscope 10, including the auxiliary magnifying unit 16, the reflective cover 20 and the illuminator 22, is time-consuming.